Tonight’s ‘Extraordinary General Meeting’ at Woodbridge Town Council was an important one for the town to take notice of.

The reason for the meeting was to hear discussions about whether Woodbridge Town Council should support a privately submitted judicial review about the planning decision made by East Suffolk District Council about the Chandlery building (a planned restaurant) on the Whisstock’s development on Tide Mill Way in Woodbridge.

The press had already run the story, last week – link here

During the meeting numerous appeals from interested parties, including Woodbridge Riverside Trust called for no action to be taken, not least a reminder that if a Judicial Review is sought on the planning decision on the site, then the building must remain empty until this process is finalised. This is likely to take at least a year, possibly up to 2, so this key part of the development will let again lie empty possibly until late in 2021 – at which point marketing the building can start, so it could be unoccupied until 2022…

Sadly it seems that the prospective tenant who was due to open a family restaurant in one of the ground floor units will now have to withdraw, I hope that she hasn’t incurred a large spend to get this far – I understand that they had submitted a premises licence application due to be heard in early June… I have to assume that this will now have to be withdrawn.

Points against the JR were heard from several people, and the one voice in favour of the review was heard from on several times.

I pointed out to the Woodbridge Councillors present that East Suffolk District Council had already been served with the initial letter to commence the action, so it was a ‘fait accomplis’ already…

Seems a shame to have to support an action that has little merit, runs across so much of the good work & support carried out by previous Woodbridge Town Councillors, and will no doubt lead to the ‘moth-balling’ of the Chandlery building until this process completes – which could take up to two years…

Local democracy in action… 😉